Three teens arrested at car dealership

Columbia police arrested three male teenagers and recovered a stolen gun after noticing a suspicious vehicle at Perry Chevrolet while patrolling the area early Sunday morning.

The officers noticed that three people were crouched in the vehicle and that two tires were missing from another vehicle on the lot at 3:48 a.m., according to a Columbia Police Department news release. After approaching the teenagers and looking at evidence, the officers concluded that the suspects were “working on” vehicles, according to police.

One of the suspects, age 16, was arrested on suspicion of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of stolen property and felony stealing, while the other two suspects, ages 14 and 16, were arrested on suspicion of felony stealing, according to the news release. They were referred to the juvenile authorities.

A Columbia police juvenile investigator recovered the two missing tires. The stolen gun came from a burglary in Fulton, and the Fulton Police Department is investigating, according to police.